On behalf of the Canadian Geoscience Education Network, it is our pleasure to invite you to a reception, in celebration of Christy Vodden. Please join us in thanking her for her long standing and dedicated service, as Secretary Treasure.

Please join us in the East Side Lounge, of the Rouge Kitchen and Wetbar (http://roguewetbar.com/), Gastown, location, for complementary hors d'oeuvres and libations.

AGENDA 5:00 Roundtable Introductions5:05 Changes/additions to agenda, review of 2017 AGM action items and approval of minutes5:15 President’s Report (Lesley Hymers)5:25 Report of the Secretary (Shona van Zijll de jong, via email)5:35 Report of the Treasurer (Christy Vodden)5:45 Report of the CGEN Webmaster (Miriam Vos-Guenter)5:55 Members’ Reports (due to time limitations, please report on one or two major highlights or issues; full report should be sent to Shona at cgen@sympatico.ca as a Word document for inclusion in the minutes)*6:15 Discussion

As part of succession planning, CGEN is actively seeking parties interested in assuming Executive roles, including President Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, and more!

If you are a Geoscientist or Geoscience Educator with interest in informal education and outreach consider joining CGEN and the CGEN Executive for an opportunity to become involved in the organization.

For additional information or to state your interest, please comment below or contact Lesley Hymers (lhymers@miningmatters.ca)

McMillan is a leading creative agency that occupies the heritage building at 541 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, home of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) from 1881 to 1911. Working with the GSC History Committee, McMillan is launching a unique and imaginative social media program that will help promote the contribution of 175 years of geological exploration to the history of Canada.

Beginning on June 3rd, when anyone on Instagram tags a photo with a location anywhere in Canada that has a connection to the history of the GSC, the History Committee will respond in the comment section with a geological fact or historical story that is specific to that location or area. Behind this process is an Instagram account called @GeoStories that will tell the story of geoscience exploration in Canada and act as a vehicle that we hope will reach thousands of people across Canada. Individual Instagram pages will also exist for prominent, historical GSC geologists that are linked to their Wikipedia entries, revised by the History Committee.

We want to make sure that as many people as possible read these stories. Please help by distributing this information and encouraging fellow workers, families, students, friends, clubs, and networks to participate and learn something about Canadian geology and the GSC. Encourage them to follow @GeoStories, and tag their location on Instagram posts to hopefully receive unique, and often amusing, geological insights.

There will be a major campaign, sending out thousands of comments, on the June 3rd launch day. However, additional activity will follow for the rest of the month and will continue for the course of the summer.

The 2017 Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Geoscience Education Network is scheduled for Saturday, May 13, at 5:30. It will be held at Queen's University, immediately following the EdGEO Teacher Professional Development Workshop. Please join us for an update on the Education and Outreach activities of members, across Canada.

Refreshments will be served. Please confirm your participation with Lesley Hymers (lhymers@miningmatters.ca), before May 10.

The 2017 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Mining Matters Teachers' Day Program will take place Sunday, March 5 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Event registration has just been extended to Friday, February 24.

The theme is "Innovation: Mineral Exploration, Mining and Education," with a focus on some of the new ideas, devices and methods that serve to move the minerals industry and education forward. Participants will learn about advances in exploration, emerging technologies and Earth science and mineral resources hands-on learning activities, to use in the classroom.

Join us for speakers, discussions, and sessions focusing on applications of geophysics, geochemistry, and computer modeling in exploration and mining, smart device microscopes, diamonds and more!

The joint meeting of the Geological Association of Canada and the Mineralogical Association of Canada (http://www.kingstongacmac.ca/en/) will take place May 14-18, 2017. Lots of activities of interest, including:

The CGEN Annual General Meeting (date to be determined) will be held during this conference. All are welcome to attend.

A full-day teacher workshop May 13. It will include the basics of rocks, minerals and fossils, as well as advanced concepts such as deep time, plate tectonics, and other geological processes. Participants will receive sample kits and resources to use in the classroom and invited to participate in a field trip Bedrock to Beaches: Local Geology of the Kingston Area, May 14. Cost of registration will be $60, and registration information will be available soon. Please contact Mark Badham (badhamm@queensu.ca) if interested. Registration preference will be given to current teachers and teacher candidates who will soon be graduating. If spots are available, interested members of the general public may also be accepted for this course.

A special session Outreach and Education Topics in Geoscience and Geo-engineering on May 15 (the deadline to submit abstract is February 28).

Mark the dates for next year’s Resources for Future Generations conference, June 16-21, 2018 in Vancouver. CGEN members are helping to plan and deliver education, outreach, and young leader programming. Stay tuned for more details or visit http://www.rfg2018.org.

CGEN will hold a workshop and its annual general meeting in Whitehorse on Saturday, June 4. The workshop, which runs from 8:30 to noon, will look at how well CGEN is serving its membership and communicating with them. If you are in Whitehorse for the GAC/MAC conference, please join us for this important discussion. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. Following lunch, the AGM will run from 1:00 to 3:00. Again everyone is welcome. If you do plan to attend, please let Christy Vodden know at cgen@sympatico.ca.

If you have an education or outreach project in need of funding, the deadline for applications for Canadian Geological Foundation (CGF) grants is March 31, 2016. CGF disburses more than $175,000 annually, but note that grants are paid upon completion of the project. Lists of past grant recipients, application forms and detailed instructions are available at http://www.canadiangeologicalfoundation.org/. If you have any questions, contact Jane Wynne, the CGF Secretary at (250) 656-6681 or jane.wynne@shaw.ca.

Also, a reminder that the Pacific Regional CGEN meeting will take place after the Mineral Exploration Roundup in Vancouver.When: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Friday, January 29, 2016.Where: Boardroom of the Geological Survey of Canada, 15th Floor, 605 Robson St. RSVP: Let Sarah Laxton (sarah.laxton@gov.yk.ca) know if you will be attending and of any items you would like added to the agenda.

Sarah Laxton sent us more details to entice everyone to join us in Whitehorse.

Outreach Session & Teacher Workshop at the GAC-MAC Meeting June 1-3, 2016Please consider submitting an abstract and attending the Outreach Session at the GAC-MAC Meeting in Whitehorse, Yukon. We hope that this will be a fun and useful setting for all CGEN members to explore and share ideas on using websites for education and outreach. Abstracts submissions open January 1, 2016! Join us as well for the Teacher workshop on Friday June 3, and the CGEN AGM on June 4.Outreach Session Whitehorse, Yukon, June 2, 2016Making the most of Earth science websites to support outreach and education Special Session 10 (SS10)Session co-chairs: Eileen Van der Flier-Keller, Sarah Laxton, Charly Bank, Beth McLarty Halfkenny, Miriam Vos-GuenterAs the "Four Billion Years and Counting" website joins sites such as Earthlinks, Careers in Earth Science, and EdGEO, which are important for Earth science outreach and education in Canada and elsewhere, this session provides an opportunity to share ideas, experiences and insights for making the most of digital resources to engage young people, support teachers and promote public awareness of the importance of Earth science to society.Abstracts submissions open: January 1, 2016Abstract submission deadline: January 31, 2016

Teacher Workshop , June 3, 2016CGEN & EdGEO Teacher Professional Development Workshop This full-day Earth Science instructional development workshop will include a hands-on learning session and field trip to local geologic exposures. The themes that will be explored include Earth science classroom teaching resources and activities, the geology of the Whitehorse area, and curriculum connections. The workshop is of interest to elementary, secondary educators, including those in social studies, science, and geography. This is a recognized In-Service Professional Development activity for Yukon Teachers.​To register for the Workshop contact: Sarah Laxton, Outreach Geologist, Yukon Geological Survey sarah.laxton@gov.yk.ca, phone (867) 393-7187

CGEN Newsletter ArchiveCGEN is all about information exchange and networking, and you will receive, on an irregular basis, emails alerting you to new resources, opportunities and news. This site will archive those posts.